Assig-fok to the toledo mo web



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. S. f DAVIS.

GRAIN GARRIBR.

No. 252,081. y Patented Jan. 10,1882.

W'I T .7V` ESSES INVENTOR By 4.fltzrorneya '7o-im' Kaag-6' i N. PETERS. Pmwmmgmpmr. wnmngxm u, c.

(No Model.) A I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. J. S. DAVIS.

GRAIN GARRIER. l No. 252,081. Patented'. Jan. 10,1882..

WITNESSES INVENTOR N. PETERS. Pnnwumgnpm, wamingm, p. c,

' *there SrATES JOHN S. DAVIS, OF TOLEDO, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE TOLEDO MOWER AND REAPER COMPANY, OF SAMEPLACE.

GRAIN-CARRIER.

SPECIFICATION forminlg part of Letters Patent No. 252,081, dated January 10, 1882.

t I l Application filed October 13, 1881. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN S. DAVIS, of Toledo, in the county of Lucas and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Grain-Carriers, of which tho following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in grain-carriers of the class composed ot' endless aprons, belts, or chains, and chieiiy employed, in connection with grain-binding machines, to 1:eliver the grain as cut from-the harvesteratform to the binding inechanism,my im- :vements particularly pertaining to that ne of such class of grain-carriers in which nvision is made for tightening and loosen- .fig the aprons, belts, or chains.

My objects, mainly, are to provide `simple and readily-operated mechanism by which the canvas or other endless carrier may be held i under suitable tension and .be tightened or vrollers relatively to each other.

slackened by adjustment of its supporting- Another object of my invention is to provide for the automatic or self adjustment of the carrier in such manner that tension may be equalized upon the front and rear edges ot' the apron, or the front or rear belts or chains of a series,

- thereby avoiding the imperfect working of carriers, commonly resulting from unequal stretching or shrinking of different parts.

My improvements consist in a novel organization'of mechanism and in certain combinations of devices, hereinafter to be specicall y claimed, after describing my invention, in connection with the accompanying drawings, which show mechanism suitably organized in accordance with myv invention and adapted to a harvester-platform. Essential features of my improvements may be employed in connection with elevating-aprons or inclined carriers-such, for instance, as -used for conveying grain from the inner ends of platforms to receivers or binding-receptaclcs-and the details of construction and arrangement of parts may be varied to suit the varying circumstances under which the carrier is to be worked Figure 1 is a plan view, showing portions of the cutting apparatus, the platform, a onepiece-canvas carrier, and its supporting and adjusting mechanism, the carrier being partly broken away. Fig. 2 is a view, partly in elevation and partly in transverse vertical section, on the line 2 2 of Fig. l,showiiig the outer and adjustable roller for supporting the carrier and the manner ot' supportingit. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the devices for supporting the roller, and by means of which the roller is adjusted. Fig. 4 is a view of the rollersupporting devices, partly in elevation and partly in section, on the line 4 4 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a view, partly in rear elevation and partly in section, showingthe carrier-adjustinglever and detent at the rear of 'the platform.

An endless carrier, A, shown in this instance as formed of one piece of canvas, is mounted upon rollers B B', crossing the platform at its inner and outer ends. The rollerB may be driven in any suitable way, as by gearing actuating the pinion B2, and, as shown, is mounted in ixedly-secured front and rear bracket-bearings, a a', respectively, attached to the fingerbeam G, andv to a back board orl rear framepiece, C', of a harvester-platform of suitable construction, and constituting the carrier-frame. The roller B is adjustable in the carrier-frame toward and away from the iixedly-snpported roller B, and is free to oscillate slightly, as will farther on be understood. The means in this instance employed for supporting and adjusting the roller B', and for securing it in the adjusted position, are as follows: A bar, D, secured at its ends, crosses from front to rear of the platform, between the upper and lower portions of the cari-ier. Brackets d d', secured to the nger-beam and to the back board of the platform, and bolts, serve to firmly secure the cross-bar in place without interfering with the carrier or apron. A lever, E, is jointed at its inner end to an arm, e, rmly fastened to the cross-bar and projecting toward the roller B'. The lever is fitted in a mortise or slot in the cross-bar arm, extends rearwardly between the top and bottom portions of the carrier, and is provided with a handle, E', projecting out through a longitudinal slot in the rear `framepiece or back board, C', of the platform. A ratchet-rack or serrated stop-plate, F, is provided at the lower edge of the stop c of the back board, and a tooth or detent, f, ou the hand-lever engages this rack to hold the lever IOO ly uniting the parts.

in its adjusted position. The ordinary springdetent may be employed; but, asshown, the detent is firmly fastened to the adj Listing-lever, and the lever is made suieiently yielding to enable the operator to spring it, and so disengage the detent and stop for adjustment of the parts'. The lever has connection with the cross-bar D, intermediate the ends of this bar, preferably somewhat nearer the front than the rear edge of the platform, as shown, so that the lever may be connected at a point about midway the width of ther platform with the adjustable supporting mechanism of the roller B'. The lever connects with an adjustable supporting-bar, H, for the roller B' by means of a link or connecting-rod, G. This link is pin-jointed at one end between tixedly-attached clips or lugs on the lever, and near its fulcrum, between which lugs the link loosely tits, with its rounded end bearing in a correspondinglyshaped recess formed in the lever. In this way unnecessary thrusting strain upon the lugs g (only the top one ot' which is shown) and the pivot g' isavoided. The opposite end of the connecting-rod or link G is pin-jointed at h to the bar H, to which it is fitted, either by means of lugs, such as those on the lever, or by means of a rounded recess midway the length of this bar.

The supportingbar H, like the cross-bar D and operating-lever E, is arranged between the top, and bottom portions ofthe canvas A, and between the two rollers, and is pivoted at its ends tocross-heads or sliders I I, having boxes or bearings for the roller B'. lhe bar H, the cross-heads, thc pivots t' z', connecting the bar with the cross-heads, the bearings or sockets J J in the cross-heads, and suitable guideways for the cross-heads makeup theadjustahle supporting mechanism for the roller B', which mechanism is controlled and secured by means of the adjusting-lever and its rod or link G. The roller B' is journaled at its ends in the cross-head bearings J J, and the cross-heads are supported and guided in their reciprocatious between strips or bars K K K' K', the front guideway-bars, K K, being secured to the back of the tin ger-beam O and to the bottom of the platform by screws, and the guideway for the'rear cross-head being bolted to the platform back board, C. A metallic bar or strap, l, is bolted to the platform-bottom, (see Figs. 1 and 2,) and is also secured to the tinger-beamand back board by bolts, thus secure- Flangesbband b'b', upon the ends of the rollers B and B', prevent displacement of the carrier, as usual. I prefer to form these lian ges with the journals of the rollers, as clearly shown in Fig. 2.

From the above description it will be understood that the bar H maintains the parallelism of position of the roller-carrying cross-heads throughout their adjustments, and that by means of the lever, thelink, and the detent the movable carrier-supportin g roller may be suitably adjusted and secured in the carrier-frame to properly stretch the canvas or to relieve it of too great tension, as well as to leave it slack when not 1n use, thus rendering unnecessary the employment of straps and buckles orother 7o canvas-the front or back portions of the carriers--will be prevented, when the rollers are properly adjusted relatively to each other, by the horizontal oscillation or vibration about the pivot It of the supports of the roller B'. The

slight vibratory movement allowed the roller-8o supports about the pivot h, connecting the bar H and link G, is amply sufficient to prevent the unequal strains which would otherwise oceasionally be brought to bear upon the front and back portions of the carrier-such, forinstance, -8 5 as caused by the temporary passage or collection of stalks of grain, e., between the carrier and its rollers. At such times the movement toward the roller B of that end of the roller B' around Which the unusually strained portion 9o of the carrier passes would obviously cause the movement of the opposite end of the roller B' away from the roller B, thus dividing or equalizing the strain. By making the bar H resilient or self-yielding, as presently'to be ex- 95 plaincd, and keeping it under proper strain, but little, if any, perceptible unusual tension would be exerted upon the canvas during such oscillation of the roller, as the bar would ad- 'just itself to compensate the increased strain roo on the carrier.

To prevent cramping and enable the roller B' freely to assume the slightly diagonal position itoccupies when vibrated, the roller-journalsare fitted loosely in the bearings J J of the cross-heads. As these journals are quite short, andas such journals and bearings would not ordinarily be closely fitted, no particular care is necessary in mounting the roller in its bearings to allow for the very slight amount uo of vibration needed. It' preferred, however, oscillating boxes for the roller-journals may be provided in the cross-heads. I

To provide for automatic movement or selfadjustment of the roller B' toward or away 115 from the roller B, and so compensate for slight variations in the length of the carrier without resort to the lever for positivelyadjusting the position of the roller B', the bar D or the bar I l H, or both of them, are made to possess a 12o proper degree of resiliency, and either or both these bars may be made suiciently yielding of wood, steel, &c. The bars are preferably both made of wood, and one or both of them may be reduced in size at and near its center 12 5 to give increased elasticity. The dotted lines. Fig. 4, represent the bar H as cutaway to give it proper resiliency. By the spring-pressurey of this bar the roller` B' is rendered self-adjusting to a limited but sufcient extent under or- 13o dinary circumstances. The spring-bar H being normally strained or slightly bowed by the `the movable roller away from the fixed roller.

In connection with carriers composed of a series of belts, chains, or toothed bands,the lever-supportingcross-bar D may be dispensed with and 'its equivalent, consisting ot'` asuita-` ble postor stand secured to the bottom of the carrier-frame or platform and projecting up between the lower portions of two of the bands, be employed. The top of said post would serve as a support for the lever, which could thus be jointed to the post-top instead of to the arm e, so as to vibrate between the upper and lower sectionsof the-belts and operate the barH and its connections by way of the link Gr, as before explained. i I prefer, however, to use the cross-bar D in all cases.

I do not broadly claim adjustablysnpporting rollers'for endless grain-carriers or aprons,

nor, broadly, the employment of sliding boxes for adjusting such rollers, as I am aware that prior to my invention various devices 'have been devised for adjusting the rollers of' graincarriers. Y

I disclaim the combination, broadly considered, of an endless carrier for a harvester, supportingrollers for the carrier located at the ends of the carrier-frame, and automaticallyyielding mechanism placed between said rollers and between the upper and lower portions or opposite surfaces of the carrier to vary the distance between the rollers, as Iam not the first inventor thereof.

I claim as of my own invention- 1. The combination of an endless carrier for a harvester, the supporting-rollers for the carrier, located at the ends of the earrier-frame, the adjustable supporting mechanism between said rollers, and between the upper and lower portions or opposite surfaces of the carrier, and l means for positively adjusting and securing said mechanism, substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth.

2. The combination of the cross-heads provided with bearings, the carrier-supporting roller mounted in said bearings, the guideways for the cross-heads, and the adjustable bar connecting the cross-heads, substantially as and for the purpose hereinbef'ore set forth.

3. The combination of the carrier, its supporting-rollers, the sliding boxes or cross-heads provided with bearings forone of said rollers, the cross-bar between the upper and lower portions of the carrier, with which bar the crossl1`eads are jointed, and the adjusting-lever linked to said bar,substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth.

4. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth,of' the adjustable carrier-supporting roller, the sliding boxes, the guideways, the resilient bar having jointed connection at its ends with said sliding boxes, the adjusting-lever, the link or connecting-bar, and means for securing the lever in its adjusted position.

5. The combination of the platform, the carrier, the roller mounted in fixed bearings, the adjustable roller, thecrossheads provided with bearings for said adjustable roller, the bar connecting said cross-heads, the link-rod, the le-V ver, and the cross-bar with which said lever has pivotal connection, these members being and operating substantially as hereinbefore set forth.

6. The combination of the platform, the adjustable carrier-supporting roller, the adjusting and supporting mechanism therefor, the slotted back board, and the rack with which. the detent of the adjusting-lever engages, substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth. i

In testimony whereof' I have hereunto subscribed my name this 10th day of October, A. D. 1881.

JOHN s. Davis.

Witnesses:

GEORGE W. HUMPHREY, G. S. CURTIS.

ions in Letters Patent No. 252,081;A

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 252,081, granted January 10, 1882,

upon the application of J chu Davis, of Toledo, Ohio, for an improvement in Grain Carriers," the Word slot, in line 98, on page l of the printed specification attached to and forming a part of said Letters Patent, was erroneously printed stop57 that the proper corrections have been made in the files and records of the Patent Office, and are hereby made in said Letters Patent.

` Signed, conntersigned, and sealed this 17th day of January, A. D. 1882.

[SEAL] A. BELL.

Acting Secretary of the Interior. Countersigned V. D. STOGKBRIDGE,

Acting Commissioner of Paton/ts. 

